Sherborne Abbey's Festival of Lessons and Carols is at 5pm on Sunday 20 December, free and not ticketed. Plus Weymouth, Dorchester and Blandford outdoor carols.

Sherborne Abbey’s Festival of Lessons and Carols is at 5pm on Sunday 20 December 2026, free and not ticketed, and it is the main church carol service in the Dorset Council area with a published 2026 date so far. The Abbey has published its whole Advent and Christmas programme, from the Advent Carol Service at 5pm on Sunday 29 November to Midnight Mass at 11.30pm on Christmas Eve.

The towns’ outdoor carols are confirmed too: Blandford’s Yuletide Festival on Friday 4 December, Weymouth’s Carols by the Coast on Saturday 5 December and Dorchester’s Carols in the Gardens on Thursday 17 December. Most parish churches, including Wimborne Minster, had not published their 2026 carol services when we checked on 8 November; we will add them as they appear.

The quick answer

  • Sherborne Abbey, Festival of Lessons and Carols: Sunday 20 December, 5pm. Free entry, not ticketed, all welcome.
  • Sherborne Abbey, Advent Carol Service: Sunday 29 November, 5pm.
  • Blandford: Friday 4 December, Market Place. Lantern parade 6pm, tree lit 6.15pm, carols with Stour Valley Band 6.25pm.
  • Weymouth, Carols by the Coast: Saturday 5 December, 5pm to 6pm, by the Christmas tree in New Bond Street, with the Mayor and the Salvation Army Band.
  • Dorchester, Carols in the Gardens: Thursday 17 December, 6.30pm, Borough Gardens. Free, carol books provided.
  • Christmas Eve at Sherborne Abbey: crib services at 3pm and 5pm, Midnight Mass at 11.30pm.
When What Where Entry
Sun 29 Nov, 5pm Advent Carol Service Sherborne Abbey Not stated
Fri 4 Dec, from 6pm Yuletide Festival carols Market Place, Blandford Outdoor
Sat 5 Dec, 2pm Salamanca Band of the Rifles Christmas Concert Sherborne Abbey Not stated
Sat 5 Dec, 5pm to 6pm Carols by the Coast New Bond Street, Weymouth Outdoor
Sun 6 Dec, 1.30pm, 2.30pm, 3.30pm Shoppers’ Carols Sherborne Abbey Not stated
Sat 12 Dec, 7.30pm ‘Tidings of Joy’ concert St John’s Church, Weymouth £20, under-16s free
Mon 14 Dec, 7pm Christmas Concert Sherborne Abbey Free, not ticketed
Thu 17 Dec, 6.30pm Carols in the Gardens Borough Gardens, Dorchester Free
Sun 20 Dec, 5pm Festival of Lessons and Carols Sherborne Abbey Free, not ticketed
Thu 24 Dec, 3pm and 5pm Crib Service and Lighting of the Tree Sherborne Abbey Not stated

Sherborne Abbey

Sherborne Abbey, on The Abbey Close, Sherborne DT9 3LQ, lists every service and concert on its services calendar. The ones open to everyone this Advent and Christmas:

  • Advent Carol Service, Sunday 29 November, 5pm. The service for the first Sunday of Advent, with the Friends of the Abbey, whose Advent reception with mulled wine and mince pies is in the Lady Chapel from 4pm. The Abbey’s notes for the Friends’ reception refer to reserved seats requested in advance by the Friends.
  • Railway Touring Company Carol Service, Wednesday 2 December, 2.30pm. The Abbey’s listing says: “Why not arrive into Sherborne by steam train and attend this Carol Service”. It adds that “all are welcome”.
  • Shoppers’ Carols, Sunday 6 December, at 1.30pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm, during Sherborne’s Festive Shopping Day, and again on Sunday 20 December at 1.30pm and 2.30pm.
  • Mulled Wine and Mince Pies with Carols, Wednesday 16 December, 7pm, in the Lady Chapel, hosted by the Reverend Martin Lee and Sue Lee.
  • A Quieter Christmas, Thursday 17 December, 7pm, in the Lady Chapel. The Abbey describes it as “a delightfully quiet, reflective time just before Christmas for those who find the busyness of this season a struggle. Anyone can come.”
  • Festival of Lessons and Carols, Sunday 20 December, 5pm. “Free entry (not ticketed), all welcome!” The officiant is the Reverend Martin Lee and the director of music James Henderson; the carols listed include Vaughan Williams’s This is the truth and the Sans Day Carol.

Much of the Abbey’s December calendar is taken up by school carol services (Sherborne School, Sherborne Girls, Sherborne Prep, the Gryphon, Hazelgrove and the Abbey primary school) and by the Mothers’ Union and Dorset Masonic services. Those are listed for their own communities, so check with the Abbey before going to one.

The Abbey’s own parishes have carol services too: St James the Great, Longburton, on Sunday 13 December at 6pm and St Martin of Tours, Lillington, on Sunday 20 December at 6pm, both on the same calendar.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at the Abbey

  • Thursday 24 December, 3pm and 5pm: Crib Service and Lighting of the Tree.
  • Thursday 24 December, 11.30pm: Midnight Mass, the First Eucharist of Christmas.
  • Friday 25 December, 9.30am: Parish Eucharist with Carols; 11.30am: Festal Mattins.
  • Saturday 26 December, 10am: Feast of St Stephen Eucharist with Carols.

On Christmas Eve there is also a Crib Service at the Inn at 4pm at the Rose and Crown in Longburton, listed by the Abbey’s parish.

Outdoor carols in the towns

Blandford Forum, Friday 4 December. The Blandford Yuletide Festival programme: “6.00pm Lantern Parade Starts”, “6.15pm Mayor’s welcoming address and lighting of the Christmas tree”, then “6.25pm Carol singing with Stour Valley Band” in the Market Place. Father Christmas is in his grotto from about 6.30pm.

Weymouth, Saturday 5 December. Weymouth Town Council’s Carols by the Coast runs from 5pm to 6pm by the Christmas tree in New Bond Street. The council invites people to “join the Mayor of Weymouth for carols by the Christmas Tree in New Bond Street and enjoy some festive favourites played by the Salvation Army Band.” The town’s lights and trees are switched on a week earlier, on 28 November: see our Christmas lights page.

Dorchester, Thursday 17 December. Dorchester Town Council’s Carols in the Gardens is at 6.30pm in Borough Gardens: “a free carol concert in Borough Gardens, where you can enjoy live music and sing along to classic Christmas carols. Carol books will be provided, so everyone can take part.”

Concerts with carols

  • Salamanca Band of the Rifles Christmas Concert, Saturday 5 December, 2pm, Sherborne Abbey. “Back by popular demand, the Band are performing a Christmas Concert in the Abbey.” (Sherborne Abbey)
  • ‘Tidings of Joy’, Saturday 12 December, 7.30pm to 10pm, St John’s Church, Greenhill, Weymouth DT4 7SS. Weymouth Choral Society’s Christmas concert, £20 including wine, non-alcoholic drinks, mince pies and treats, under-16s free. This year it includes Craig Courtenay’s “A Musicological Journey Through the 12 Days of Christmas”. (Weymouth Town Council events)
  • Christmas Concert, Monday 14 December, 7pm, Sherborne Abbey. “Carols, music and song! Free entry (not ticketed), all welcome!” It lasts about 1 hour 15 minutes. (Sherborne Abbey)
  • Christmas Carol Trains, Thursdays 3, 10 and 17 December, 7pm to 9pm, Swanage Railway. Adults £20, children 3 to 15 £10. Our Santa specials page has the details. (Swanage Railway)

Not announced yet

When we checked on 8 November, Wimborne Minster’s events page had no 2026 Christmas services listed, and we found no published 2026 carol service from the parish churches of Dorchester, Weymouth, Bridport or Lyme Regis. We will add them here as they appear; if you run one, email hello@dorsetpost.co.uk with the date, time and church, and it goes on this page free of charge.

Getting there

The big carol services are free and unticketed, so seats go to whoever arrives first. Our parking in Dorset page lists the car parks and charges, and the roadworks and travel page has the closures. For everything else on over the season, see what’s on in Dorset.

Questions

When is the Sherborne Abbey carol service?

The Festival of Lessons and Carols is at 5pm on Sunday 20 December 2026, free and not ticketed. The Advent Carol Service is at 5pm on Sunday 29 November.

Do I need a ticket for the Sherborne Abbey carol service?

No. The Abbey lists the Festival of Lessons and Carols and the 14 December Christmas Concert as “free entry (not ticketed), all welcome”.

Is there an outdoor carol service in Dorchester?

Yes. Carols in the Gardens is at 6.30pm on Thursday 17 December in Borough Gardens, free, with carol books provided.

When are the Weymouth carols?

Carols by the Coast is on Saturday 5 December, 5pm to 6pm, by the Christmas tree in New Bond Street, with the Mayor and the Salvation Army Band.

Sources